Flowers. Cards. Chocolates

Anyone with even the slightest romantic streak has been waiting for today. How many cards will they receive? Will there be flowers too? Could it be a surprise dinner by candlelight? Part of the beauty of the day dedicated to St Valentine is not knowing what tokens of romance lie in wait.

Despite appearing spontaneous, many tokens associated with the event are only made possible through months of planning by an army of businesses working on every last detail.

Among the troops ensuring Cupid's arrow hits the spot is Manoj Rani, operations manager for Carlton Cards in the Gulf region.

All in the cards

The greetings card chain has four outlets in Dubai displaying up to 500 designs, priced from Dh15 to Dh75.

Rani says the selection was ordered 10 months in advance and displays were already up by the first week of January.

He says: "Valentine's Day is growing bigger and bigger every year. The cards are at a very high level because people tend to buy just one card for their wife or girlfriend so they don't mind spending money."
 
Last minute

While there is plenty of advance warning at every turn, many tend to leave buying a card to the last minute.

Rani says: "We will sell 300 per cent more on February 13 than on a normal day as men tend to shop for cards on the last day."

Flowers speak

For those wanting to say it with flowers, roses of the red variety remain queen of the blooms for the annual love fest.

UpScale & Posh florists, in Al Mina Road, are working non-stop to meet demands from customers in Dubai and from online bookings worldwide.

Assistant managing director Tiffany Fowler says orders started coming in a month ago.

She says: "Everybody wants red roses because it is the epitome of romance. Most people are looking for two dozen red roses and above. It's one of the busiest times of the year for us as business increases by 300 per cent so we are in full gear right now."

The company is giving away crystal hearts with every Valentine's Day order as a keepsake.

Love for charity

Taking the concept of love in its wider context, Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai is running its Biggest Heart feature for the third year.

The massive metal heart constructed in front of the entrance to the hotel will hold a whopping 9,000 red balloons this year, each containing a prize voucher.

Each balloon costs Dh5 and the top prize is a holiday for two to Thailand, courtesy of Thai Airways.

All proceeds go to charity and everyone who buys a balloon will go away with something, after claiming their prize at the balloon popping ceremony between 3pm and 8pm on Valentine's Day.

Michael Nugent, Mövenpick general manager, says: "It's a fantastic way of raising money for local causes that may not receive a lot of funding from anywhere else. It's a very visual event about giving from the heart and it's great fun for everyone who comes along."

Romantic songs

To get in the mood for the occasion, all you have to do is turn on the radio and you hear love song after love song and countless personal tales of romance from listeners sharing their experiences on air. 
Radio 4 FM's administrator Sangitha Badhe is receiving more than 75 emails on love stories a day.

She says: "We've been asking listeners to write to us about how they met their loved ones and some of the stories are so moving and beautiful. Come Valentine's Day, people want to celebrate it and the radio station is like a medium for them to talk about it."

Sweet dreams

If the way to your loved one's heart is through their stomach, what better way to whet their appetite than through a box of chocolates?

Hassam Sabra, manager of Patchi at the Wafi City, Dubai, says he is expecting a rush of customers in search for presents for their sweethearts today.

He says: "People like to buy chocolates for all occasions and they come to us because we have many different arrangements with special wrapping. For example, we have heart-shaped chocolates in boxes or on heart-shaped plates with flowers for Valentine's Day. Chocolates are the perfect gift for this occasion because they are associated with romance."

These are only some of the promotions on offer for Valentine's Day. Hotels, restaurants, cards and chocolate stores across the UAE are offering special promotions and themes.